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Snapshot Dependencies

By setting a snapshot dependency of a build (for example, build B) on other build's (build A's) sources, you can ensure that build B will start only after the one it depends on (build A) is run and finished. We call build A a dependency build, whereas build B is a dependent build.

The Dependencies page of the build configuration settings displays the configured dependencies and since TeamCity 2017.1, the Snapshot dependencies section of the page allows previewing the build chain and its configuration. The preview shows builds of the chain; the builds with automatic triggering configured are marked with this icon v.png.

When adding a new snapshot dependency, the following options need to be specified:

Suitable Builds

A "suitable" build in terms of snapshot dependencies is a build which can be used instead a queued dependency build within a build chain. That is, a queued build which is a part of a build chain can be dropped and the builds depending on it can be made dependent on another queued, running or already finished "suitable" build. This behavior only works when the "Do not run new build if there is a suitable one" option of a corresponding snapshot dependency is selected.

For a build to be considered "suitable", it should comply with all of the conditions below:

  • use the same sources snapshot as the entire queued build chain being processed. If the build configurations have the same VCS settings, this basically means the one with the same sources revision. If the VCS settings are different (VCS roots or checkout rules), then "same sources snapshot" revisions means revisions taken simultaneously at some moment in time.

  • be successful (if "Only use successful builds from suitable ones" snapshot dependency option is set)

  • be a usual, not a personal build

  • have no customized parameters, also considering those set via reverse.dep. parameters (related feature request: TW-23700)

  • the original build should not be triggered selecting "rebuild" option for the dependency build configuration in question

  • have no VCS settings preventing effective revision calculation, see below

  • there is no other build configuration snapshot-depending on the current one with "Do not run new build if there is a suitable one" option set to "off"

  • the running build is not "hanging"

  • settings of the build configuration were not changed since the build (that is, the build was run with the current build configuration settings). This also includes no changes to the parameters of all the parent projects of the build configuration. You can check if the settings were changed between several builds by comparing .teamcity/settings/digest.txt file in the hidden build's artifacts

  • if there is also an artifact dependency in addition to snapshot one, the suitable build should have artifacts

  • all the dependency builds (the builds the current one depends on) are "suitable" and are appropriately merged

VCS Settings Disabling Builds Reuse

Some settings in VCS roots can effectively disable builds reusing. These settings are:

  • Subversion: Checkout, but ignore changes mode

  • CVS: Checkout by tag mode

  • Perforce: Stream or Client connection settings, or label is specified in Label/revision to checkout option

  • Starteam: checkout mode option set to view label or promotion date

See also